Wet weather specialists: Audi SQ2 v Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 drag race

In very wet and wintery conditions, ideally you want a punchy turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot and all-wheel drive at your disposal. And that’s exactly what these two German junior performance SUVs are packing.

The Audi SQ2 brings 221kW, 400Nm and decades of quattro know-how to the table, while the Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 seeks to tame the dreary Victorian elements with 225kW, 400Nm and the Three-Pointed Star’s 4matic all-wheel drive system.

Power outputs are virtually lineball between the two, however the GLA 35 carries an extra 47kg on the Audi, as well as an extra $19,300 to its recommended sticker price.

But will the more affordable underdog come out on top? We pit the two cars against each other, in a variety of circumstances, to find out.

First up, was a launch control race start run over a standard 400m strip. While the Audi’s launch control procedure is markedly more complex than that of the Mercedes, it seemed to work to greater effect as they both scurried away from the line.

Both cars were evenly matched on the getaway, but the Audi soon got its nose in front and held its lead with the GLA 35 trailing behind by a car’s length as the finish line flew by.

Disengaging launch control and switching both cars back into their default comfort modes, it was time to race with a street start, intended to mimic the spontaneous traffic light lunge – no sport modes, no tricks, just foot down and go!

It often illustrates the differences in powertrain calibrations between vehicles in their lazier and more relaxed modes and, again, it seemed the Mercedes was caught sleeping. With no launch control to lean on, the Audi SQ2 simply reacted with more immediacy, and convincingly crossed the finish line with a few car lengths to spare.

Our final experiment was a rolling start race, with both cars lining up at about 50km/h before flooring it at a pre-designated marker. Curiously, it was the Mercedes-AMG that reacted quicker on its feet, lunging a car length ahead of the SQ2 almost immediately. The gap quickly started to close, and by the last 100m – the Audi was reeling the GLA 35 in. The Audi’s comeback wasn’t to be, as the finish line passed after it had just caught the AMG’s bumper.

By a rainy day’s end, both cars yielded rather respectable results despite the sub-optimal conditions. The Audi SQ2 actually beat its manufacturer acceleration claim of 4.9-seconds, with our timing equipment recording a best 0-100km/h time of 4.79-seconds. It ultimately cleared the quarter-mile in 13.1-seconds at 167.12km/h.

The Mercedes-AMG GLA 35 followed marginally behind, however virtually matched its official acceleration claim, with us recording a 0-100km/h time of 5.15 seconds. A 13.47-second pass of the quarter-mile was our best recorded time, posting 166.41km/h at the trap.

Two incredibly close German junior performance SUVs with more than their fair share of similarities between them. If money were no object, which would you rather take home? Or would you instead be sticking to their hatchback counterparts, the Mercedes-AMG A35 and Audi S3? Let us know in the comments below!